William Hodd (Bill) McElcheran
RCA 1927 - 1999 Canadian
Businessman
bronze sculpture
initialed, editioned 2/9 and dated 1996
29 x 10 x 8 1/2 in 73.7 x 25.4 x 21.6cm
Provenance:
Private Collection, Vancouver
William McElcheran trained in sculpture at the Ontario College of Art and was also an architectural designer. He started as a woodworker, specializing in art and furniture for churches. He rose to be chief designer for Bruce Brown and Brisely Architects, and worked on designing 23 churches and university buildings. He formed Daedalus Designs in 1973, the purpose of which was integrating sculpture with architecture. His best-known sculpture subject is the iconic businessman, shown caught in the whirl of his corporate life. As in Businessman, a quintessential McElcheran work, he depicted these men of commerce as robust and self-possessed, constantly in movement. Their conformity is indicated by their classic dress of overcoat, hat, suit and tie, carrying business paraphernalia such as briefcases. His viewpoint was both satirical and compassionate, drawing us to sympathize with them, as urbanites often feel caught in the frantic pace and roles of modern life. McElcheran�s businessmen can be seen in many public installations across Canada and in the United States, Germany, Italy and Japan.
Please note: the bronze base measures 10 3/4 x 11 3/4 x 1 inches.

Lot # 078
William Hodd (Bill) McElcheran
RCA 1927 - 1999 Canadian
The Crowd
bronze relief plaque
initialed, editioned A/P 2/3 and dated 1981
17 x 17 x 3 in 43.2 x 43.2 x 7.6cm
Provenance:
Private Collection, Vancouver
William McElcheran is well known for his iconic businessman images, portrayed individually, in small groups or in a crowd, as in this refined wall relief. He portrayed crowds in small-scale three-dimensional groups, editioned bronze wall reliefs or large-scale works such as the ceramic wall relief in the Dundas subway station in Toronto. McElcheran was a strong proponent of the integration of sculpture into architecture, and another crowd scene, a free-standing bronze relief, is installed at Toronto's John M. Kelly Library. Following a 1971 exhibition at Roberts Gallery that included relief works, a reviewer noted that McElcheran had studied Assyrian bas-reliefs, in which the position in society of the people portrayed was indicated by their clothing and posture. In The Crowd, the foreground figures are finely detailed, both men and women in their classic uniform of business, while in the background, detailing is indistinct and the figures anonymous. They march forward together, a symbol of progress and determination, radiating a quietly heroic stance in contrast to their conformity.
Included with this lot is a plexiglass stand that measures 42 1/2 x 19 x 16 1/2 inches.

Lot # 332
William Hodd (Bill) McElcheran
RCA 1927 - 1999 Canadian
Muse
bronze sculpture
initialed and dated 1976 and on verso titled, dated and inscribed "unique" on a gallery label
14 3/4 x 8 1/2 x 7 1/2 in 37.5 x 21.6 x 19cm
Provenance:
Forum Gallery, New York, 1979
Private Collection, Seattle
William McElcheran was trained in sculpture at the Ontario College of Art, and in 1973 opened Daedalus Designs, which specialized in the integration of sculpture into buildings. McElcheran had a unique ability to create sculptures that both compassionately and satirically convey the dynamic nature of the corporate world. Muse is a striking work which depicts McElcheran's classic briefcase-carrying businessman, with the inspired addition of an ethereal female figure adorning his shoulder. The two figures, their gazes locked in a sensitive, shared moment, represent the ordinary and the extraordinary. As exemplified in Muse, McElcheran was able to seamlessly infuse corporate culture with empathy and humor, which made him one of Canada's most celebrated sculptors.
This work was acquired directly from Bella Fishko, founder of the Forum Gallery in New York.
Estimate:
$5,000
~
$7,000
CAD
Preview at: Heffel Fine Art Auction House Vancouver